Chapter 5🔗

Memory technique

These techniques are used by all memory masters in all countries. Like headache medication, anyone can use these memory techniques. These are basic techniques. This technique explains one philosophy. We are going to explain this philosophy with the sentence "A Banyan tree is here." Without concentration we can't read this sentence. To read this sentence your eye needs to be focused on the words. The information about the sentence is brought into the mind through your eyes. When you first see the sentence you will focus on it. In the sentence "A Banyan tree is here." In one glance we can see the whole sentence, but if we are learning a new language each letter is a separate concept. With practice the new words can be taken in in one glance instead of one letter at a time. Then groupings of familiar words can be processed in one glance. Eventually the whole sentence of the new language can be processed in one glance. The results of research determined that in one second we can take in and process four sentences. We can take in six words in one glance. That is twenty four words in one second. Twenty four words in one second is a fast reader. In one minute one thousand four hundred and forty words can be processed! This has been scientifically proven with extensive testing.

Now we are going to learn a technique to increase our reading speed. A good foundation of physical health with Sun Salutation and mental health with Nithya Dhyan meditation is important to increase performance. Before increasing reading speed we need to get our eyes ready. Eye preparation requires massage and exercise. There are twelve muscles in your eye socket, one for each direction the eye ball moves in; up, down, left, right, diagonally, etc. One of these twelve muscles is called the copying muscle. Each muscle has to get strengthened. The cornea also needs to get strengthened. Once the muscles have been strengthened we can start to increase the reading speed. As our reading speed increases the mind becomes quiet. If our reading speed is not sufficient to keep our mind quiet the mind breaks up the information as the mind searches for things to keep itself busy. For example: "The Banyan tree is near the temple" is one sentence for a fast reader, but for a slower reader's mind will store this sentence in two or more bits of information; eg: "The Banyan tree" is one bit "is near the temple" is the second bit. The two bits are stored separately so when recalled the second bit may or may not be the correct one. If your reading speed is slow your comprehension will be low. Increasing reading speed is like learning to ride a bicycle. You fall down four times before you get it. Then you can't stop. The technique we are going to learn is a very successful technique. In over one hundred studies this technique was the most successful. Scientists have also invented a machine that is guaranteed to increase your reading speed. Even that machine cannot teach you to read as fast as this technique.

Before your examination you can read fast to review. You will actually recall information read quickly better than information read slowly. Because of our mental setup we are conditioned to read slowly. We end up with fragmented information. Our minds are naturally full of thoughts. Meditation reduces in a slower way the number of thoughts through out your day. Reading quickly reduces your thoughts only while reading quickly. Reading quickly increases comprehension by quieting the mind and reducing fragmentation. When you start reading quickly any pause or break the mind will automatically fill the space with some kind of random thought which fragments the flow of reading thoughts. Comprehension is directly proportionate to the reading speed. You will naturally hesitate to read fast because of your inner chatter. As you read fast speak gibberish in your mind to keep it quiet. When you first start don’t try to understand just read fast. Now we are going to read fast. This will train the eye muscles and the cornea. While reading fast your eyes may feel strained, but they are not actually strained it is your mind. Practicing to read fast without being concerned about comprehension will naturally increase your comprehension. As a student you will normally read five to six hours per day. Set aside half to one hour per day to practice reading fast by reading a newspaper for one minute. Stop and count the number of words you read.

Technique for reading faster: Right now get a newspaper. Turn it upside down and read it continuously for thirty minutes. It is difficult for you to follow so use your finger or a pen to help guide your eyes. With the help of your finger or pen you can increase your speed. Don’t skim or skip words. Read everything. As you read increase the speed. At the end of thirty minutes close your eyes and relax for five minutes. The first time your eyes will feel strained. Five minutes relaxation should be enough to make them feel better. Now count the number of words you read. Count by taking an average of a few lines and then multiply by the number of lines read. Now turn the page the right way up and read the same passage for one minute. Count the words you read the normal way in one minute. Compare the number of words read this time with the number of words read upside down. Now read for 20 minutes without decreasing the speed. Don’t worry about comprehension. Get whatever understanding you can. Practice this technique daily with awareness. Awareness means keeping your mind focused on the reading, don’t let your mind wander. Awareness is the key difference between this technique and techniques taught by other people.

After all this reading you Ajna chakra will be tense, the region between your eye brows. Turn on some music and dance to relax the chakra. If you have a headache it is because you didn’t read with awareness.

Technique to relax the tension in the eyes: To relax the tension in the eyes place the palms of your hands over your eyes so that the palm presses against your eye brow and cheek bone and does not put pressure on the eyeball itself. Hold your palms softly over your eyes for 10 minutes with awareness. Awareness of the pressure on your face, the intense darkness and relaxation of your eyes. This is a refreshing technique for your eyes. Your awareness should be in the palms of your hands.

Technique to increase eyes ability to focus: This technique will help with your near and far sightedness and the quality of your cornea. It will strengthen the muscles around your eyes and help you focus better. The first part of this technique is to focus on something far off in the distance. The hold up your thumb at a comfortable distance so that it appears beside the object in the distance. Now focus on your thumb for a moment, focus on the object in the distance for a moment and continue to switch focus back and forth between your thumb and the object in the distance. Continue for 12 focus changes as quickly as you can with awareness. This technique also works with corrective lenses.

Some people will experience a moment of darkness as they change focus from near to far or far to near. That darkness is normal

Technique to exercise the eyes In this technique don't focus on an object in the distance, just focus off into space in the distance. Move your eyes slowly from extreme right to extreme left (or left to right). Take 10 to 30 seconds to slowly make this one movement. Repeat this motion 6 times. Now change the direction to up and down. Moving the eyes from one extreme to the other. Repeat 6 times. Now slowly move your eyes diagonally from upper right to lower left, 6 times. Then upper left to lower right 6 times. Now rotate your eyes in as big a circle as your eye travel will allow. Clockwise 6 times and then Counterclockwise 6 times.

Eighty percent of our energy is expended through our eyes. Our eyes are one of the most often used parts of our body. The only other body part used more than our eyes is our heart. Because we use our eyes so much we need to keep them in good shape with this exercise. If six repetitions is too much in some situation, such as just before a big test, do the exercise at least two times.